The recently reinstated National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party and ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has called for party unity, stating that the internal crisis within the PDP has been resolved.

In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Monday, Anyanwu urged party members to focus on strengthening the PDP, and advised those currently involved in coalition negotiations for the 2027 elections to reconsider their action and join hands to rebuild and strengthen the PDP.

Anyanwu’s call comes in the wake of last week’s declaration of a coalition by the 2023 presidential candidates, including Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Anyanwu, who claimed to be unaware of the coalition led by Atiku, encouraged PDP members to remain dedicated to the party.

According to him, the PDP remains a strong party at all levels despite the internal conflicts it has faced before and after the 2023 elections, which have caused instability and divisions within the party.

Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, has been criticised, especially after replacing Iyorchia Ayu.

Tensions heightened over the National Secretary position when the South-East nominated former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, to replace Anyanwu, who had been nominated for the Imo governorship race in 2023.

The dispute reached the courts in December 2024, where the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favour of Ude-Okoye as PDP National Secretary. However, after months of party unrest, the Supreme Court overturned the Appeal Court decision on Friday, reinstating Anyanwu as the party’s Secretary.

In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court stated that issues relating to the leadership or membership of a political party are internal matters and should not be handled by the courts.

Following the ruling, the PDP’s National Working Committee issued a statement affirming that Ude-Okoye’s appointment had been overridden by the Supreme Court decision and that the party must address leadership issues internally.

Responding to the ruling, Anyanwu expressed relief, stating that the Supreme Court’s decision had ended the major crisis within the PDP.


https://punchng.com/wike-camp-dismisses-atiku-coalition-woos-pdp-bigwigs/